Temple Tuesday: More Marilyn

In this publicity still for Shirley Temple’s 1935 film, “Curly Top,” her first stand-in, Marilyn Granas, can be seen standing next to Shirley on the left side of the photo. This was one of the few times that Marilyn got any actual screen time in a Shirley movie.



A year before, she posed for this still taken during the making of “Bright Eyes.”



From the accompanying caption:

FRIENDS — Shirley Temple, helmeted, and Marilyn Granas, her stand-in and playmate, about to take “Rags” out for a promenade along dressing room row at the Fox Film studio where Shirley is now engaged on “Bright Eyes.”

If Rags looks familiar, that’s because you probably recall her (yes, her) playing Toto in “The Wizard of Oz.” Shirley met him before Judy did! Below is a shot of Marilyn when I met her in 2018 at a little get together in Los Angeles commemorating what would have been Shirley Temple’s 90th birthday.



You can read more about that evening from my previous blog post.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Quiet on the set!

The typical moviegoer watches a movie to follow the story and characters. I am not a typical moviegoer. I LOVE to watch classic (aka “old”) movies while listening to the director commentary, gaining behind-the-scenes knowledge. I also try to figure out if the scene is a set, a matte painting, or a true location. This set still from Shirley’s 1937 classic “Wee Willie Winkie” shows her costar Douglas Scott and stand-in Mary Lou Isleib “at ease” while the set is documented for the director, John Ford. Art direction on this movie was by William Darling and David Hall (both were nominated for a Best Art Direction Oscar for this film), with Thomas Little doing the set decoration.

Based on the outfit Mary Lou is wearing, I would guess that they were about to film this scene:

In most of the set photos from the film, this little sign is visible:

Another set, photographed on the same day (February 17, 1937) that also shows Scott and Isleib (this time with their backs to the camera), about to enter the Quartermasters Stores set.

What a dream to be able to walk around the sets and examine every detail! Well, to me at least!

A crew member is on the roof, getting the set ready for…something.

This extra is relaxing between takes:

I believe it’s the same actor with Shirley shown here:

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Shirley's First Stand-In

Today's Temple Tuesday image shows Shirley with her first stand-in at Fox Studios, Marilyn Granas. From the vintage publicity blurb:

SCHOOL DAYS - Shirley Temple and her stand-in, Marilyn Granas, register pleasure in their session with their teacher in the between scenes lessons. Shirley is now busy in "Bright Eyes," her last picture for this year.

"Bright Eyes" is also famous for introducing Shirley's signature tune, "On The Good Ship Lollipop." This next image from 1938 shows Shirley's next stand-in, Mary Lou Isleib, who kept that position until Shirley retired from the silver screen in 1949.



More 1930's Shirley at my main website.